I'm so frustrated with my new Fox 2.5s.

Right? I feel like this tread would had been one page with pictures of the cams from the start.

 

I got a lot out of this thread. THANKS much to all the contributors

@Patton250, you did a great job. I think you deserve the TacomaWorld "Stay on Topic Under Difficult Conditions Award" for the Month of July.

 

thank you. It was difficult. Very hard to get information out of people and then of course we had to have a couple or three smart ass is come in and just say negative things and not contribute. But this last page has been most helpful. I will get back to all of you shortly as soon as I adjust the cams.

 

17x9 -13 are quite aggressive in terms of backspacing. That’s your problem. 17x8 0 offset will fit 285’s and you might not even rub with the OEM suspension.

 

All right so this is exactly what I’m talking about. Did you notice how we’ve had this discussion now for many pages and we finally came to the conclusion that it’s my cams. Everybody seemed to agree and everyone’s happy. I made the necessary phone calls to go get this corrected and then like a pop-up thunderstorm last second you come in and say, “nope!!! It’s your wheels”. Lol. Where were you page 1? Where were you page 5? Where were you when every single shop I’ve been to including the place I bought the wheels online from all said these wheels would be just fine with a 3 inch lift? I’ll tell you this, I know for 100% fact that if I can actually move these wheels 1 inch forward there will be zero rubbing ever again for the entire compression range. Theres very little rubbing now that I’m back at 3 inches of lift and I’ve done some cutting. 1 inch more forward will end it all together. Now you’re telling me wrong wheels. Luckily there are no tall buildings around me right now because I think I would leap off of one.

please don’t get me wrong. I’m glad for anyone that wants to come in and help out but from the very beginning I’ve listed out exactly all the detailed information about my wheels, tires, original lift kit, new shocks and leaf springs and everything I’ve gone through. Everyone’s had all the information they could possibly have needed except for the last pictures of the cams I posted.

 

I’m sorry that I’m late to the party, to be fair I read 15 pages while waiting on the ferry.

Cams aside you might still rub with those wheels

 

I’m barely rubbing now after all these corrections. In fact most people would probably just put up with it at this point but I have OCD lol. If I can move the wheels 1” forward they’ll be no more rubbing.

Now let’s discuss the wheels. I joined this this very forum so that I could ask about wheels. That was my first question. I pretty much got ridiculed, ignored and condescended for asking about wheels. The few people that did try to help we’re all over the place just like this very thread about why shocks were being a problem. However at the end of the day they were several people that had wheels like the ones I have now that said work just fine.

If someone were to wake up out of a 50 year coma, someone that loves trucks, and they gravitated to this forum because they like the look of the Tacoma they would have to come to the conclusion that every Tacoma that came off the assembly line was of different specs. They would come to this conclusion because when it comes to wheels and shocks they have read no universal facts on this forum. I personally have read many opinions and have seen dozens and dozens of configurations all with their own unique and detailed lengthy stories of how they got to that configuration but no universal facts. When I bought my tonneau cover that went pretty easy. You just went to the website and plugged in the exact kind of Tacoma you had and boom there were search results and they all worked. Wheels and tires? Shocks? No sir. Not even close. Not even remotely close. Why? It works that way what sports cars. My last car before my new M3 was a Mercedes C450. Within a year of its first production they had shocks and wheel designs that absolutely worked 100% perfect 100% of the time. So why is it aftermarket wheels and shocks for sports and muscle cars seem to have an easy go of it but not Tacoma‘s? Is it this difficult to get wheel and shocks set ups for Ford F150s or Dodge Rams also?

 

Full size trucks have big wheel wells and lots of room to fit big wheels and tires, although if you’re pushing it with aggressive offsets and huge tires you will still have clearance issues.

There are a few reasons why there isn’t a chart of what fits and what doesn’t on a tacoma. First, believe it or not every truck DOES come off the assembly line slightly different. Secondly, there are so many aftermarket parts available the number of variables is infinite. It’s unlikely two people will have the exact same make/model/size of wheel with the same make/model/size of tire and UCA and shocks and shock setting and spring length and spring rate and finally alignment.

Most people who put on bigger tires(myself included) did some research, put them on, then did some tinkering to get them to clear everything. Every case is different.

 

Since this hasn't been spelled out plainly in this thread: You absolutely will have to take your truck in for an alignment after adjusting those cams. Ask them not to adjust caster or they will most probably put it back to factory spec, just have set toe and camber.

 

That’s exactly the case with me. I did tons of research. However in the end I really don’t know what the hell I’m doing. This is not my line of expertise. Worst part is I counted on shops who are supposedly experts at this. Anyway I’m convinced more than ever the vast majority of people just wing it. I’m also convinced the vast majority of these people would never admit that. They just come here and say, “look how awesome my set up is and I got it right from the beginning”. I’ve come to not believe that for a second.

 

Thanks EJ!!! Will do.

 

So Vegusstunts above said the wheels can move forward up to 2 inches. If the are moved even 1” that will absolutely make it so I have zero rubbing for sure. However why do you think Toyota told me the wheels are already pushed forward as much as they can go or should go? Is there a safety factor or wear and tear factor they are concerned about?

 

My best guess is that the are as far forward as they will go and still be in factory spec, but seeing where your cams are adjusted there is quite a bit of forward adjustment to be had.

 

Moving them forward isn’t a guarantee of no rub either. The wheel will turn in a new arc and there might be other things it will bump into. Getting bigger tires to fit isn’t a top down approach. You can’t do the math and expect it to be perfect before you even try. You’ll have to continue making adjustments by trimming after making the caster higher.

 

Alignment techs are sometimes no more than the step above lube techs at a dealership. They have a machine they get trained on. The machine spits out green or red color codes based on factory spec and they are trained on how to get it all green. When you ask to push the wheel forward they may or may not even know that means a higher caster number. If they do know that they might not understand that a lifted truck might want a number in the red. They were trained red is bad, you wouldn't intentionally do something bad would you? Also, caster can be a bit confusing... did you know that sometimes increasing the caster number actually reduces the space behind the wheel? It comes up in threads about aftermarket UCAs. Caster is an angle and if you are trying to increase an angle you can push one end of a line forward or pull the other end back (the reason people are showing cam pictures is because those cam positions help make sure you are pushing forward for your caster).

I mentioned a page or two back that I called a place close to my house that specializes in "wheels, tires, and alignment", they even share a parking lot with a place that sells massively lifted (and overpriced) trucks. They completely and totally fucked the alignment while professing to know what they were doing. There seems to be an "alignments are simple, just put the truck on the machine" mindset. You may actually have to learn what the adjustments are and how you want your truck aligned then quiz your shop to make sure they really know. Maybe you can get lucky and catch a good referral.

I think you are on the right track now. This is just another amateur opinion. But hey, now this thread will exist for the next person to use as a data point. Good luck. I hope the alignment solves the problem. Please post a pic of the end result.

 

When I got my truck aligned at Toyota after installing all new suspension and wheels and tires I asked the tech to “give me maximum caster while keeping camber inside the green. I can’t remember exactly but I think he got me 2.3-2.5 caster at the expense of a little positive camber. It drives like a dream and zero rub.

 

Agreed that many techs simply don't understand what they're doing. They just chase numbers on a screen without actually knowing how those changes translate to the actual wheels and tires on the truck. This is why it's so important if you're lifted or running bigger tires to find a good shop with a tech who understands the theory. Unfortunately they're kind of hard to come by.

 

Glad you’re on the right track now. Forums are kinda like opening your hood in front of Autozone. Everyone walking by wants to help and will have a comment or an idea. Not all will have the experience or take the time to look closer.

 

What happened to the OP since this thread was hijacked?

 

He's still liking post. Don't thing he has taken any action yet tho